Composition and method for protecting plant against disease and pest

ABSTRACT

The present invention can provide a composition and a method excellent in plant protection effect against diseases and pests. The composition comprises fluopyram and fluxapyroxad, and the method comprises a step of applying fluopyram and fluxapyroxad to a plant or soil for cultivating the plant.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Divisional application of co-pending applicationSer. No. 16/442,127, filed on Jun. 14, 2019, which claims the benefitunder 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/839,004,filed on Apr. 26, 2019, all of which are hereby expressly incorporatedby reference into the present application.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a composition for protecting plantsagainst diseases and pests and a method for protecting plants againstdiseases and pests.

BACKGROUND ART

Hitherto, many compounds have been known as active ingredients ofagrochemicals (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

CITATION LIST Patent Documents

Patent Document 1: WO 2004/016088

Patent Document 2: WO 2006/087343

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Problems to Be Solved by the Invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a composition and amethod excellent in plant protection effect against diseases and pests.

Means for Solving the Problems

The present inventor has intensively studied to find out a compositionand method excellent in plant protection effect against diseases andpests. As a result, He has found out that a composition comprisingfluopyram and fluxapyroxad shows a synergistic effect and is excellentin plant protection effect against diseases and pests.

That is, the present invention provides the followings:

[1] A composition comprising fluopyram and fluxapyroxad.[2] The composition according to [1], wherein a weight ratio offluopyram to fluxapyroxad is within a range of 1:0.1 to 1:10.[3] A method for protecting plants against diseases and pests, themethod comprising a step of applying each effective amount of fluopyramand fluxapyroxad to a plant or soil for cultivating the plant.[4] The method according to [3], wherein a weight ratio of fluopyram tofluxapyroxad is within a range of 1:0.1 to 1:10.

Effect of the Invention

The present invention can protect plants against diseases and pests.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The composition of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as“present composition”) comprises fluopyram and fluxapyroxad.

Fluopyram is a known compound and is described on page 527 of ThePesticide Manual Eighteenth Edition (issued by BCPC). Fluopyram can beobtained from commercially available formulations or can be synthesizedby known methods.

Fluxapyroxad is a known compound and is described on page 558 of ThePesticide Manual Eighteenth Edition (issued by BCPC). Fluxapyroxad canbe obtained from commercially available formulations or can besynthesized by known methods.

The weight ratio of fluopyram to fluxapyroxad in the present compositionis as follows: fluopyram:fluxapyroxad=1:0.001 to 1:1000, 1:0.002 to1:500, 1:0.01 to 1:100, 1:0.1 to 1:10, or 1:0.1 to 1:5.

Although the present composition may be a mixture as itself of fluopyramand fluxapyroxad, the present composition is usually prepared by mixingfluopyram, fluxapyroxad and an inert carrier, and if necessary, adding asurfactant or other auxiliary agents for formulation, and thenformulating into the form of oil solutions, emulsifiable concentrates,flowables, wettable powders, water dispersible granules, dusts, granulesand the others. Such formulations may be used by itself or with anaddition of other inert components as an agent for controlling diseasesand pests.

The present composition may comprises usually 0.1 to 99% by weight,preferably 0.2 to 90% by weight, and further preferably 1 to 80% byweight of fluopyram and fluxapyroxad in total.

Examples of the inert carrier used upon formulation include solidcarriers and liquid carriers. Examples of the solid carrier includefinely-divided powders or particles consisting of minerals (for example,kaolin clay, attapulgite clay, bentonite, montmorillonite, acid clay,pyrophyllite, talc, diatomaceous earth, or calcite), natural organicsubstances (for example, corncob powder, or walnut shell powder),synthetic organic substances (for example, urea), salts (for example,calcium carbonate, or ammonium sulfate), synthetic inorganic substances(for example, synthetic hydrous silicon oxide) and so on. Examples ofthe liquid carrier include aromatic hydrocarbons (for example, xylene,alkyl benzene, or methylnaphthalene), alcohols (for example, 2-propanol,ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, or ethylene glycol monoethyl ether),ketones (for example, acetone, cyclohexanone, or isophorone), vegetableoils (for example, soybean oil, or cotton oils), petroleum-derivedaliphatic hydrocarbons, esters, dimethyl sulfoxide, acetonitrile andwater.

Examples of the surfactant include anionic surfactant (for example,alkyl sulfate salt, alkylaryl sulfonate salt, dialkyl sulfosuccinatesalt, polyoxyethylene alkylaryl ether phosphates, lignin sulfonate, ornaphthalene sulfonate formaldehyde polycondensation), nonionicsurfactant (for example, polyoxyethylene alkylaryl ether,polyoxyethylene alkyl polyoxypropylene block copolymer, or sorbitanfatty acid ester) and cationic surfactant (for example, alkyltrimethylammonium salt).

Examples of the other auxiliary agents for formulation includewater-soluble polymer (for example, polyvinyl alcohol, or polyvinylpyrrolidone), polysaccharides (for example, arabic gum, alginic acid andsalts thereof, CMC (carboxymethyl-cellulose), or xanthan gum), inorganicsubstances (for example, aluminum magnesium silicate, or alumina-sol),antiseptic agent, coloring agent, and PAP (isopropyl acid phosphate),and stabilizing agent (for example, BHT(2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol)).

The present composition may also be prepared by separately formulatingfluopyram and fluxapyroxad into different formulations respectivelyaccording to the above-mentioned processes, if necessary, furtherdiluting them with water, thereafter, mixing the separately prepareddifferent formulations or the resultant dilutions thereof with eachother.

The present composition may further comprise one or more otherfungicide(s) and/or insecticide(s).

The present composition can be applied to a plant or soil forcultivating the plant to protect plants against diseases and pests.

Examples of the diseases and pests which can be controlled by thepresent invention include harmful nematode and the following plantdiseases.

Rice diseases: blast (Magnaporthe grisea), brown spot (Cochliobolusmiyabeanus), sheath blight (Rhizoctonia solani), and bakanae disease(Gibberella fujikuroi);

Wheat diseases: powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis), fusarium Head blight(Fusarium graminearum, F. avenaceum, F. culmorum, Microdochium nivale),rust (for example, yellow rust (Puccinia striiformis), black rust (P.graminis), Brown rust (P. recondita)), snow mold (Micrdochium nivale),typhula snow blight (Typhula sp.), loose smut (Ustilago tritici),stinking smut (Tilletia caries), eyespot (Pseudocercosporellaherpotrichoides), Septoria leaf blotch (Mycosphaerella graminicola),glume blotch (Stagonospora nodorum), and tan spot (Pyrenophoratritici-repentis);

Barley diseases: powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis), loose smut(Fusarium graminearum, F. avenaceum, F. culmorum, Microdochium nivale),rust (Puccinia striiformis, P. graminis, P. hordei), loose smut(Ustilago nuda), scald (Rhynchosporium secalis), net blotch (Pyrenophorateres), spot blotch (Cochliobolus sativus), leaf stripe (Pyrenophoragraminea), and damping-off caused by Rhizoctonia fungus (Rhizoctoniasolani);

Corn diseases: smut (Ustilago maydis), southern leaf blight(Cochliobolus heterostrophus), zonate leaf spot (Gloeocercosporasorghi), southern rust (Puccinia polysora), gray leaf spot (Cercosporazeae-maydis), and damping-off caused by Rhizoctonia fungus (Rhizoctoniasolani);

Citrus diseases: melanose (Diaporthe citri), scab (Elsinoe fawcetti),and fruit rot (Penicillium digitatum, P. italicum);

Apple diseases: blossom blight (Monilinia mali), canker (Valsaceratosperma), powdery mildew (Podosphaera leucotricha), Alternaria leafspot (Alternaria alternata apple pathotype), scab (Venturia inaequalis),and bitter rot (Colletotrichum acutatum);

Pear diseases: scab (Venturia nashicola, V. pirina), black spot(Alternaria alternata Japanese pear pathotype), rust (Gymnosporangiumharaeanum), and brown spot (Stemphilium vesicarium);

Peach diseases: brown rot (Monilinia fructicola), scab (Cladosporiumcarpophilum), and Phomopsis rot (Phomopsis sp.);

Grapes diseases: anthracnose (Elsinoe ampelina), ripe rot (Glomerellacingulata), powdery mildew (Uncinula necator), rust (Phakopsoraampelopsidis), and black rot (Guignardia bidwellii);

Diseases of Japanese persimmon: anthracnose (Gloeosporium kaki), andleaf spot (Cercospora kaki, Mycosphaerella nawae);

Diseases of Cucurbitaceae: anthracnose (Colletotrichum lagenarium),powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca fuliginea), gummy stem blight(Mycosphaerella melonis), and Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum);

Tomato diseases: early blight (Alternaria solani), and leaf mold(Cladosporium fulvum);

Eggplant disease: brown spot (Phomopsis vexans), and powdery mildew(Erysiphe cichoracearum);

Diseases of brassica plants: Alternaria leaf spot (Alternaria japonica),white spot (Cercosporella brassicae), and clubroot (Plasmodiophorabrassicae);

Welsh onion diseases: rust (Puccinia allii).

Soybean diseases: purple stain (Cercospora kikuchii), Sphaceloma scad(Elsinoe glycines), pod and stem blight (Diaporthe phaseolorum var.sojae), Septoria brown spot (Septoria glycines), Cercospora leaf spot(Cercospora sojina), rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi), damping-off caused byRhizoctonia fungus (Rhizoctonia solani), target spot (Corynesporacasiicola), and Sclerotinia rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum);

Kidney bean diseases: anthracnose (Colletotrichum lindemthianum);

Peanut diseases: leaf spot (Cercospora personata), brown leaf spot(Cercospora arachidicola), and southern blight (Sclerotium rolfsii);

Garden pea diseases: powdery mildew (Erysiphe pisi);

Potato diseases: early blight (Alternaria solani), pink rot(Phytophthora erythroseptica), and powdery scab (Spongosporasubterranean f. sp. subterranea);

Strawberry diseases: powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca humuli), andanthracnose (Glomerella cingulata);

Tea diseases: net blister blight (Exobasidium reticulatum), white scab(Elsinoe leucospila), gray blight (Pestalotiopsis sp.), and anthracnose(Colletotrichum theaesinensis);

Tobacco diseases: brown spot (Alternaria longipes), powdery mildew(Erysiphe cichoracearum), and anthracnose (Colletotrichum tabacum);

Rape seed diseases: Sclerotinia rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum), and rapeseed damping-off caused by Rhizoctonia solani (Rhizoctonia solani);

Cotton diseases: cotton damping-off caused by Rhizoctonia solani(Rhizoctonia solani);

Sugar beet diseases: cercospora leaf spot (Cercospora beticola), leafblight (Thanatephorus cucumeris), root rot (Thanatephorus cucumeris),and aphanomyces root rot (Aphanomyces cochlioides);

Rose diseases: blackspot (Diplocarpon rosae), and powdery mildew(Sphaerotheca pannosa);

Diseases of chrysanthemum and Asteraceae plants: leaf blight (Septoriachrysanthemi-indici), and white rust (Puccinia horiana);

Various plants diseases: Gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), and Sclerotiniarot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum);

Japanese radish diseases: Alternaria leaf spot (Alternariabrassicicola);

Turfgrass diseases: dollar spot (Sclerotinia homeocarpa), brown patch,and large patch (Rhizoctonia solani);

Banana diseases: Sigatoka disease (Mycosphaerella fijiensis,Mycosphaerella musicola);

Seed diseases or diseases in the early stages of the growth of variousplants caused by bacteria of Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp.,Fusarium spp., Gibberella spp., Tricoderma spp., Thielaviopsis spp.,Rhizopus spp., Mucor spp., Corticium spp., Phoma spp., Rhizoctonia spp.,Diplodia spp.; and

Viral diseases of various plants mediated by Polymixa spp. or Olpidiumspp.

Examples of the plants to which the present composition can be appliedinclude the followings.

Crops: corn, rice, wheat, barley, rye, oat, sorghum, cotton, soybean,azuki bean, kidney bean, peanut, buckwheat, beet, rapeseed, sunflower,sugar cane, tobacco, and the others;

Vegetables: Solanaceous vegetables (for example, eggplant, tomato, greenpepper, hot pepper, or potato), Cucurbitaceous vegetables (for example,cucumber, pumpkin, zucchini, watermelon, melon, or squash), Cruciferousvegetables (for example, Japanese radish, white turnip, horseradish,kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, cabbage, leaf mustard, broccoli, orcauliflower), Asteraceous vegetables (for example, burdock, garlandchrysanthemum, artichoke, or lettuce), Liliaceous vegetables (forexample, welsh onion, onion, garlic, or asparagus), Ammiaceousvegetables (for example, carrot, parsley, celery, or parsnip),Chenopodiaceous vegetables (for example, spinach, or Swiss chard),Lamiaceous vegetables (for example, perilla, mint, or basil),strawberry, sweet potato, glutinous yam, eddo, and the others;

Flowers;

Foliage plants;

Turfgrass;

Fruits: pomaceous fruits (for example, apple, common pear, Japanesepear, Chinese quince, or quince), stone fleshy fruits (for example,peach, plum, nectarine, Japanese apricot (Prunus mume), cherry fruit,apricot, or prune), citrus plants (for example, Citrus unshiu, orange,lemon, lime, or grapefruits), nuts (for example, chestnuts, walnuts,hazel nuts, almond, pistachio, cashew nuts, or macadamia nuts), berryfruits (for example, blueberry, cranberry, blackberry, or raspberry),grapes, Japanese persimmon, olive, loquat, banana, coffee, date palm,coconuts, and the others; and

Trees other than fruit trees: tea, mulberry, flowering plants, streettrees (for example, ash tree, birch, dogwood, eucalyptus, ginkgo (ginkgobiloba), lilac, maple tree, oak (quercus), poplar, cercis, Formosan gum(Liquidambar formosana), plane tree, zelkova, Japanese arborvitae (Thujastandishii), Japanese fir, hemlock, juniper, pinus, spruce, or yew(Taxus cuspidate)), and the others.

The above-mentioned “plant(s)” may include plant(s) whose resistance hasbeen imparted by genetic recombination.

Exemplary embodiments of the present composition include the followingcompositions.

A composition comprising fluopyram and fluxapyroxad, wherein the weightratio of fluopyram to fluxapyroxad is within the range of 1:0.001 to1:1000

A composition comprising fluopyram and fluxapyroxad, wherein the weightratio of fluopyram to fluxapyroxad is within the range of 1:0.002 to1:500

A composition comprising fluopyram and fluxapyroxad, wherein the weightratio of fluopyram to fluxapyroxad is within the range of 1:0.01 to1:100

A composition comprising fluopyram and fluxapyroxad, wherein the weightratio of fluopyram to fluxapyroxad is within the range of 1:0.1 to 1:10

A composition comprising fluopyram and fluxapyroxad, wherein the weightratio of fluopyram to fluxapyroxad is within the range of 1:0.1 to 1:5

The method for protecting plants against diseases and pests of thepresent invention (hereinafter, referred to as “method of the presentinvention”) is carried out by applying each effective amount offluopyram and fluxapyroxad to a plant or soil for cultivating the plant.Examples of the plant include foliage of a plant, seeds of a plant andbulbs of a plant. Moreover, the bulbs described herein mean discoidstems, corms, rhizomes, tubers, tuberous, and tuberous roots.

In the method of the present invention, fluopyram and fluxapyroxad maybe applied separately to a plant or soil for cultivating the plant inthe same period.

In the method of the present invention, examples of the method ofapplying fluopyram and fluxapyroxad include foliage treatment, soiltreatment, root treatment, and seed treatment.

Such the foliage treatment includes, for example, a method of applyingfluopyram and fluxapyroxad onto surface of a plant to be cultivated by afoliar application or a stem application.

Such the soil treatment includes, for example, soil broadcast, soilincorporation, and irrigation of the chemical liquid comprisingfluopyram and fluxapyroxad to a soil.

Such the root treatment includes, for example, a method of soaking awhole or a root of the plant into a chemical liquid comprising fluopyramand fluxapyroxad, and a method of attaching a solid formulationcomprising fluopyram, fluxapyroxad and the solid carrier to a root ofthe plant.

Such the seed treatment includes, for example, an applying of thepresent composition to a seed or a bulb of the plant to be protectedagainst diseases and pests, specifically, for example, spray treatmentby spraying a suspension of the present composition in a mist form ontothe surface of a seed or the surface of a bulb, smear treatment byapplying the wettable powders, the emulsifiable concentrates or theflowables of the present composition with added by small amounts ofwater or as itself to a seed or a bulb, immersion treatment by immersinga seed into a solution of the present composition for a certain periodof time, film-coating treatment and pellet-coating treatment.

Also, fluopyram and fluxapyroxad may be applied to a plant or soil forcultivating the plant by different application methods. For example,seed treatment may be adopted as an application method of fluopyram, andfoliage treatment or soil treatment may be adopted as an applicationmethod of fluxapyroxad.

Each application rate of fluopyram and fluxapyroxad in the method of thepresent invention may be varied depending on a kind of plant to beapplied, a kind or a frequency of an occurrence of diseases and pests asa control subject, a formulation type, an application period, anapplication method, an application site, a climate condition, and thelike. In case of an application to a foliage of the plant or soil forcultivating the plant, a total amount of fluopyram and fluxapyroxad iswithin the range of usually 1 to 500 g, preferably 2 to 200 g, andfurther preferably 10 to 100 g, per 1000 m². Also a total amount offluopyram and fluxapyroxad in the treatment for seed is within the rangeof usually 0.001 to 10 g, and preferably 0.01 to 1 g, per 1 kg of seeds.

The emulsifiable concentrates, the wettable powders or the flowables,etc., are usually applied by diluting them with water, and thenspreading them. In this case, each concentration of fluopyram andfluxapyroxad contains usually 0.0005 to 2% by weight, and preferably0.005 to 1% by weight of fluopyram and fluxapyroxad in total. The dustsor the granules, etc., are usually applied as itself without dilutingthem.

EXAMPLES

The present invention is described in more detail below by FormulationExamples and Test Examples.

First, Formulation Examples are described. Herein, “parts” means “partsby weight”.

Formulation Example 1

Five(5) parts of fluopyram, 5 parts of fluxapyroxad, parts of a mixtureof white carbon and ammonium polyoxyethylene alkyl ether sulfate (theweight ratio of 1:1), and 55 parts of water are mixed, and the resultantmixture is then subjected to fine grinding according to a wet grindingmethod to obtain a flowable.

Formulation Example 2

Ten(10) parts of fluopyram, 5 parts of fluxapyroxad, 1.5 parts ofsorbitan trioleate, and 28 parts of aqueous polyvinyl alcohol solutionthat contains 2 parts of polyvinyl alcohol are mixed, and the resultantmixture is then subjected to fine grinding according to a wet grindingmethod, and thereto are added 45.50 parts of a mixture that contains0.05 parts of xanthan gum, 0.1 parts of aluminum magnesium silicate and45.35 parts of water, followed by adding 10 parts of propylene glycol,and blended by stirring to obtain a flowable.

Formulation Example 3

Ten(10) parts of fluopyram, 40 parts of fluxapyroxad, 3 parts of calciumlignosulfonate, 2 parts of sodium lauryl sulfate, and 45 parts ofsynthetic hydrous silicon oxide are fully ground and mixed to obtain awettable powder.

Formulation Example 4

Five(5) parts of fluopyram, 5 parts of fluxapyroxad, 14 parts ofpolyoxyethylene styryl phenyl ether, 6 parts of calciumdodecylbenzenesulfonate, and 70 parts of xylene are mixed thoroughly toobtain a formulation.

Next, Test Examples are described.

Test Example 1

Fluopyram and fluxapyroxad were respectively dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide, and agent solutions were prepared so that the concentrationof each compound was 100 times the concentration described in Table 1.The agent solution was dispensed into each well of a microtiter plate(96 wells) in 1 μl portion, and then 99 μL of YBG medium to whichconidia of Septoria leaf blotch (Mycosphaerella graminicola) wasinoculated in advance (which was prepared by dissolving 10 g of yeastextract, 10 g of Bacto Peptone, and 20 mL of glycerol into 1 L of water,followed by sterilizing the medium) was dispensed into each of the wellto which the agent solution was dispensed. The plate was cultivated at18° C. for four days, thereby allowing Septoria leaf blotch to undergoproliferation, and the absorbance at 600 nm of a sample in each well ofthe microtiter plate was then measured to examine a degree of growth ofSeptoria leaf blotch (hereinafter referred to as “treated group”).Whereas, Septoria leaf blotch was grown similarly to the case of thetreated group using dimethyl sulfoxide instead of the agent solution,and the degree of growth was measured (hereinafter referred to as“untreated group”). The efficacy was calculated from each of theobtained degree of growth of the treated group and the untreated grouprespectively by the following “Equation 1”.

From the test results, it was acknowledged that a synergistic effect wasshown in the mixed-use group of fluopyram and fluxapyroxad in comparisonwith the case of each of the single-use group of the above-mentionedcompounds respectively.

Efficacy(%)=100×(X−Y)/X  Equation 1

X: Degree of growth of fungus in the untreated group

Y: Degree of growth of fungus in the treated group

TABLE 1 Application concentration (ppm) Efficacy Fluopyram Fluxapyroxad(%) 0.1 — 24 — 0.5 82 0.1 0.5 94 1.75 — 60 — 0.18 71 1.75 0.18 97

1. A composition comprising fluopyram and fluxapyroxad, wherein a weightratio of fluopyram to fluxapyroxad is within a range of 1:0.01 to 1:10.2. A method for protecting plants against diseases and pests, the methodcomprising a step of applying each effective amount of fluopyram andfluxapyroxad to a plant or soil for cultivating the plant, wherein aweight ratio of fluopyram to fluxapyroxad is within a range of 1:0.01 to1:10.